I Am A Mercer
by Riddle-sama
Summary: The summer after Sirius dies, Harry is forced to go to Detroit with the Dursleys on their vacation. After a car jacking gone wrong Harry ends up in a hospital with no idea of who he is. Then he finds a family with the Mercers. Will he want to go back?
1. Chapter 1

Author: Riddle-sama

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Four Brothers. They belong to their respective owners. I am making no money for this at all. The only thing I really own is the plotline I have planned :)

Pairings: Harry/Angel

Warnings: Mentions of character death, vague mentions of abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual), curse words, explicit slash in later chapters. You have been warned.

Ages are:  
Harry/Tyler (as he will be referred to after a certain point) 15

Jack 15

Angel 17

Jerry 20

Bobby 23

XX

Harry sat staring vacantly at the dingy wall of his tiny room at Privet Drive. The soon-to-be 16 year old sat as still as a statue, his dead green eyes staring emptily into what seemed to be nothing, but behind those eyes a battle waged in a memory that seemed to be forever stuck on replay. Endlessly, Harry tortured himself with the memory of his Godfather, Sirius falling through the veil, a shocked smile frozen on his handsome yet haggard face. Harry's eyes closed in pain and tears began to fall as he let the guilt overwhelm him. With the death of his Godfather came the ending of his hope of ever getting out of Privet Drive and into a true family that would love him as a family should.

A soundless sob escaped his sore throat, his vocal chords had given out hours earlier under the pressure of tortured screams and pleading sobs of 'don't leave me!' and 'I'm so sorry!' For the first time in two days, Harry moved of his own volition - to curl up on the hard cot he slept on to wrap his emaciated frame in the threadbare blanket and bury his tear-stained face in his flat pillow.

Harry was broken and he had no will to piece himself back together. Sooner than Harry thought possible, he fell into an untroubled slumber, oblivious to the world around him.

Dead green eyes snapped open at the incessant rapping at his door. "Boy!" came the shrill voice of his Aunt Petunia, "Get up! We must leave for the airport soon! Get your things together!"

Harry's eyes flicked over at the empty bag his aunt had given him the day before. The sharp taps of his aunt's heels faded downstairs, she obviously believed he was up and following her orders.

Harry swung his legs over the side of the bed after sitting up, then pushed himself into a standing position. Feeling strangely detached, he transferred his ratty, hand-me-down clothing into the backpack. Harry left his school books where they were in his trunk. The Dursleys only planned on staying in Detroit, Michigan for a few weeks before coming back home. However, Harry tucked his wand into the leather holster Remus had given him for his fourteenth birthday and then strapped it onto his right forearm. Then Harry turned to Hedwig, his faithful owl. She was perched within her open cage, the soft breeze coming in through the open window gently ruffled her white plumage. Harry was glad that he had obviously unconsciously set up everything to where she would be able to take care of herself. He would have hated for her to have died of his neglect.

Her large gold eyes looked upon him sternly and Harry sidled up to her to try and make amends with his best friend. "I'm so sorry Hedwig." He cooed gently, stroking her beautiful plumage gently in apology. "I didn't mean to forget about you. Will you ever forgive me?" The she-owl looked at him reproachfully for a few moments before climbing up his offered arm and onto his shoulder where she nipped him chidingly. Harry chucked weakly and nuzzled her. "I do love you girl, but I need you to deliver a letter for me."

Her gold eyes lit up with importance and she hooted eagerly. Harry carefully penned a letter to Remus about his trip, neglecting to mention just where in the United States he was going, and asking if he would care for Hedwig during his absence. Normally he would send Hedwig to the Weaselys, but they had been strangely quiet in the responses they sent to him. They must have finally given up on him, he was only likely to kill Ron with his luck. Hermione was much the same.

After tying the finished letter to Hedwig's leg, Harry looked into her eyes to express how serious he was. "I want you to stay with Remus after you deliver this to him, OK? I know he'll take care of you while I'm gone, so take care of him OK? Fly safe Hedwig." Hedwig preened him affectionately then took off out the window, leaving Harry alone in his room.

Dejectedly, Harry gathered his bag and trudged downstairs where he put the ratty bag next to the pristine suitcases that sat waiting in the entryway. Hearing movement in the kitchen, Harry entered demurely and waited for his aunt to acknowledge him. She glared at him with beady blue eyes. "Boy," she snapped, " take the bags out to the car. Pack them neatly into the boot then come back to me when you're finished. Damage anything and Vernon will have your hide, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." He murmured quietly, leaving the kitchen to get started on his chore. He was extra careful with the bags because the last thing he needed was to have bleeding wounds and bruises on his body during a lengthy flight across the Atlantic ocean.

The flight had been as long as Harry had feared it would be, there was nothing really for him to do other than read and re-read the inflight magazine in a desperate attempt to fend off the terrorizing memories of the death of Sirius. He had been fed, thankfully, as it would have seemed suspicious otherwise, so for once his stomach was full and he was no longer tired. They arrived at the international airport in New York on time and Harry was stuck with toting the numerous carry-on bags that the Dursleys had brought with them to the next gate where their plane would take them to Detroit.

Huffing with exertion and feeling just a little weak and lightheaded, Harry gently dropped the bags onto the tiled floor of the airport next to the small area his relatives had staked out to wait for their flight. They sneered at him, their hateful eyes just daring him to sit with them, so Harry chose to wander over to the large window that looked out over the docks and landing strips. Beyond the planes was the concrete jungle he had heard so much about. The tall skyscrapers loomed in the distance and Harry was mesmerized by the dim light he could see playing off the tinted glass.

He wished he could slip away and disappear within that steel and concrete forest and never have to worry about the wizarding world or Voldemort or the stupid Dursleys ever again, but the horror stories he had heard about the streets kept him from doing anything so impulsive. Harry slid to the floor, an ache in his chest as the torturous memories crept back in. Tears sprang to his eyes as the sight of his beloved Godfather falling into the veil played again in his mind's eye. Then there was a change in the routine of torture he couldn't pull himself out of, Cedric's dead eyes staring accusingly at him, pleading him the reason why Harry couldn't save him.

Harry's body jerked minutely with this new development. He wanted to scream out loud for it all to stop, but kept it tightly reigned in. The last thing he needed was to make a scene and make Vernon angry enough to beat him again. Harry didn't need the physical pain heaped on top of the emotional pain he was already feeling. So he did what he did best, he pulled all those feelings inside of himself and pushed them so far down in his mind that all he was left with was an echoing emptiness within his slowly cooling heart.

Newly empty green eyes flicked across the gate floor to the flashing sign that announced the departure time of his flight. It read 7:30 pm in bright red numbers. The flight wouldn't begin to board for another 20 minutes so Harry made himself more comfortable in his little spot next to the window to wait.

Harry jerked awake at the piercing overhead crackled to life to inform the weary passengers that the flight to Detroit would be boarding now. Harry groaned quietly, wondering when he had fallen asleep as he trudged over to his relatives to gather their bags. He followed quietly behind them all, carrying the bags, his head turned to the floor to avoid having to look at his disgustingly fat uncle and cousin and his equally skinny aunt. A flare of true fury searing his heart and making his hair stand up awkwardly a bit more with the amount of magic that surged to the surface to do his bidding. Harry panicked slightly, struggling to push the magic down. He did not notice the concerned gaze of the woman behind the ticket scanner.

When the four of them came up next to the woman, she saw that the small, ragged boy was carrying all of the bags the family had. Her eyes narrowed on the family before giving a plastic smile. "Good evening. May I see your tickets please?" Vernon grumbled but handed over the tickets to the woman. She scanned them quickly and nodded when all four tickets proved to be correct. She almost let them pass by her into the hallway beyond when she held up a hand. "I'm sorry, Sir, but I need to know how many carry-on bags you are planning to take onto the plane."

Petunia's lips thinned in annoyance as she lifted her nose into the air, "We have six, is that a problem?" The woman's smile became a little evil. "I'm very sorry, but yes it is. Airline policy is that each passenger carries only one carry-on bag onto the plane. This policy has been in effect since the terrorist attack on September eleventh for your safety as well as the safety of other passengers. I'm sorry for the inconvenience but I am going to have to ask you to check your extra bags over at the desk a few gates down. Do not worry, we will not allow you to miss your flight. I will have someone come along to help you carry the bags over to the desk." The woman said, the inflection in her voice telling just how not sorry she was. Dudley began to whine, well on his way to a spectacular tantrum since two or three of the bags Harry was dragging around was filled with his video games and snacks. The woman just waved a man in a blue uniform over to them and he took the six bags from Harry, hauling them effortlessly over to the desk indicated by the woman. Vernon grumbled angrily about speaking to a manager, but waddled after the man in uniform. Petunia soothed Dudley with promises that Harry didn't bother to hear as he followed closely behind, trying his damnedest to remain inconspicuous.

The guy behind the counter was tall and had dark hair and eyes. He looked indifferently at the Vernon as the fat man raved at him over the number of carry-ons allowed to a passenger. He efficiently silenced the man with empty assurances he probably had to give every other ranting client sent to his desk. Harry felt sorry for the man as he took Vernon's verbal abuse and was amazed when all the man did was shrug it off and ask Vernon which bags he would like to check. The simple question sent Vernon into another tizzy of ranting. Those dark eyes flashed with annoyance for a moment before he forced a smile and pointed out that the flight was only an hour and that at the other end their bags would be returned to them safely. Harry admired the man's bravery. Vernon, whose face had turned purple with outrage, calmed somewhat. He lifted a meaty hand and gestured at Dudley to pick which bags he wanted to be checked. The look on his face was dark, daring the spoiled and fat teenager to make a scene with so many other people around. With a petulant frown, Dudley pointed at two different ones, letting the man take them away with little fuss.

Once that ordeal was dealt with, Harry took up the diminished pile of luggage and followed his dreadful relatives back to the other terminal to board their plane with barely five minutes left before departure. The woman winked at Harry as he passed, making the fifteen year old smile gratefully. Only a little while longer to go before he could hide in the hotel room for the duration of their stay.

The plane flight was quick and relatively painless with only one small tantrum from Dudley when Petunia told him that he could not bother the pretty hostess for any more peanuts and a quick glare at Harry from Vernon when the same hostess asked him if he wanted anything before she asked Dudley.

After departing from the plane and gathering their bags at baggage claim, Vernon led them to a small blue kiosk off the side of one of the car rental counters. He grunted at Petunia when she griped at him for using the tiny machine instead of the counter. Before long they were in a nice luxury car (Harry had been threatened with pain if he so much as scratched the leather seats) and driving to their hotel. Or at least Harry thought they were.

Stubborn as he was, Vernon had refused a GPS system and a map, preferring to find his own way in a city he had never been in before. Harry snorted quietly to himself, his uncle was as stupid as a rock if he thought that he could automatically find his way around in an unfamiliar city.

They had arrived in Detroit at about 9:00 pm and now it was closing in on 11:00, Petunia was sleeping quietly up in the front seat and Dudley was focused intently on his hand-held game system. Vernon had been driving in circles for the past two hours and Harry was sure they were lost. His fears were cemented when Vernon turned onto a seedy-looking street that seemed to blend maliciously with the shadows. Merlin, Harry thought to himself, I hope I don't die due to this man's stupidity.

After driving around aimlessly for a while, Vernon slowed to a stop at a stop sign at a street corner. That was when all hell broke loose. Eight tall, masked men crowded the car, ripping open the unlocked doors with ease and heaving the frightened family out. Harry was thrown at least ten feet due to how light he was. His head collided with something hard and unforgivably cold. Dazed and bleeding, Harry watched with heavy eyes as Vernon made the situation worse by blustering about connections and jail time. One man, obviously the leader by the way the other seven looked to him for guidance, got in Vernon's face, showing how serious he was being by shooting Dudley in the head, killing him instantly. Petunia screamed in horror, her normally narrowed eyes wide with shock as she looked upon the corpse of her only son. She screamed insults at her son's killer only to be silenced as the man's next bullet found it's home between her eyes. Petunia gasped and she fell back to the ground. Her thin body made a muted thump against the tar of the street. Vernon sputtered with rage, lunging at the man that had just killed his family but was stopped in his tracks as another gunshot took his life away.

Harry watched this all distantly. He was unable to comprehend what had just happened. He moved his head a bit to try and see better but his efforts were thwarted by an intense amount of pain. Harry lost consciousness instantly.

While Harry lay unconscious in the street, the eight men when through everything the Dursleys had brought with them. They stole everything of value and when one man pointed out Harry he was examined as well. His head was bleeding heavily from a wound and the men could barely feel a pulse. Harry's breathing was shallow as well. The leader of the group narrowed his eyes on the boy's emaciated form. "Leave him," he ordered his lackeys. "The kid will be dead soon anyway. Let's not waste ammunition and just keep going. Aaron, you drive that sweet ass ride back to my place. Let's get out of here." He shooed his men on their way then waited until they were all out of earshot before he pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911.

"There's been a shootout up on magnolia drive and east crescent ave. Three are dead and one is bleeding heavily from a head wound. Come quickly." He hung up and considered the boy laying on the street. He was so small and the large clothes draped over his frame just made him seem even smaller. He was glad he had killed those motherfuckers. Child abusers like them deserved to burn in hell. But the kid was not his problem, he might as well just leave now before the cops arrived and hauled him in to jail.

"Good luck kid." He murmured to the unconscious boy before fading into the night.

XxX

He woke suddenly and was not sure what had woken him. He opened his eyes only to clench the lids tightly back together when the harsh overhead lights attacked his sensitive eyeballs. Opening them again, this time more slowly, he looked around the room he lay in. It was vaguely familiar, as though he had been in one like it before, but he couldn't remember. But before he could truly begin to wonder why he could not remember, somebody came in.

It was a tall, smartly dressed man. He had hard dark eyes and semi-dark skin. He was followed closely by a pale man in the same dress and a gangly red headed man wearing a white coat over his shirt and slacks. Something about this last man's appearance sparked a memory, but He could not really think of it through the fog in his mind.

"Hello, I'm Lieutenant Green and this is my partner, Detective Fowler as well as your Doctor, Doctor Kinley. Can you tell us your name, son?" Lt. Green said softly, his smile gentle for him. He smiled tentatively back and opened his mouth to tell the nice man his name, only nothing came to the forefront. A confused frown settled over his features and he looked away from his company to stare at the white blankets covering his form. Why couldn't he remember his name?

"Son? Are you still with us?" Lt. Green asked, stepping closer to the boy. Green eyes bright with tears met his own dark ones. "I don't know. Why don't I know my name? Isn't that an easy thing to remember?" Lt. Green felt his heart lurch for the tiny boy. Dr. Kinley stepped forward.

"It is possible that the head trauma he experienced could be the cause of his loss of memory." The other two men winced at the doctor's words, but he just frowned confusedly.

"What trauma?" he asked and tried to sit up in bed. Tried being the key word. A wave of pain and dizziness overwhelmed him and he fell back onto the bed. Dr. Kinley rushed forward, checking the boy's temperature and the bandages tied tightly around the boy's head. "Don't push yourself, you'll reopen the stitches. You are lucky you woke up at all, with how malnourished you were coupled with the trauma from the attack." the kind doctor chided gently. The tears that the boy had valiantly tried to hold back streamed down his pale cheeks.

"But I don't even remember getting hurt! Why is this happening to me?" The boy wailed, overwhelmed and distraught with the influx of information the three men in the room had given him. Dr. Kinley hushed the boy and rubbed his back in soothing circles, mentally willing his tiny patient to calm down. The boy eventually quieted down, pulling away from the calming embrace of the doctor to look at the two police men.

"What's going to happen to me now?" he asked softly, his bright green eyes rimmed with red from his tears. Lt. Green and Fowler exchanged a quick glance and Lt. Green took in a deep breath.

"You are going to have to go into the foster care system until a permanent placement is arranged for you. We will have to give you a name to go by until you are adopted and given a proper one. Do you have any preference?" The boy had looked down sadly at the blanket draped around him as he listened. At the man's question, the boy drew up his knees to his chest and placed his chin on them as he thought.

"I like Tyler." He said suddenly, startling the three men with the abrupt break in the silence. Lt. Green smiled, "Alright then, Tyler it is. Tyler Doe as you have no idea what your real last name is. As soon as Dr. Kinley gives you the all clear someone from CPS will pick you up and place you within a temporary foster home as well as set you up with some sort of schooling. Get well soon Tyler. If I could just have a minute of your time doctor?" Lt. Green and Detective Fowler nodded at the newly dubbed Tyler and left the room to wait just outside for Dr. Kinley. Dr. Kinley gently settled Tyler back into the bed, giving him a soft smile before he left the room as well.

Tyler curled up under his blankets and cried himself to sleep.

Alright, I have no idea how police deal with amnesic people after a crime so I just went with this since it is a logical route. Hope you liked it! ^_^

I also have Etidorpha to thank immensely for her help with the name as well as allowing me to bounce ideas off of her. THANK YOU HUN! YOU'RE A LIFE SAVER! -Ahem- Anyway, for those of you who liked my other two storied, don't worry, I'm working on them, it's just that this one came out first ^_^

~Riddle


	2. Chapter 2

Author: Riddle-sama

Pairings: Harry/Angel

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own Harry Potter or Four Brothers, they belong to their respective owners and I am left to write fan fiction for no money.

Warnings: Mentions of character death, abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual), curse words, explicit slash in later chapters. You have been warned.

Ages are:  
Harry/Tyler (as he will be referred to after a certain point) 15

Jack 15

Angel 17

Jerry 20

Bobby 23

XX

When Tyler woke up, a dark haired woman was conversing quietly with Dr. Kinley over in a corner of his hospital room. The woman was dressed smartly in a light gray skirt, pale blue blouse and a light gray blazer. She held a file folder in one arm and a bag with some clothing in the other. The doctor was glaring at the woman and gesticulating wildly with his hands, but the brunette seemed undeterred. Tyler wondered why she was there. The woman's dark eyes glanced in his direction absently and widened when she realized that confused green eyes were staring right back.

The woman cleared her throat pointedly and Dr. Kinley jumped slightly, turned toward Tyler and quickly made his way over to the boy's bedside. A soft smile quirked the corners of the tall doctor's lips and Tyler felt himself relax minutely under his doctors gentle hands.

"How are you feeling Tyler?" Dr. Kinley asked the green eyed boy as he unwound the bandage from his head.

Tyler smiled. "Better."

Tyler glanced at the woman who was watching with a passive expression on her pretty face. He leaned toward his doctor even more and whispered, "Who is that?" Dr. Kinley's smile vanished and he glared over his shoulder at the woman.

"_That_ is your social worker Mrs. Walsh." At her name, the woman started forward brusquely, her face blank. Suddenly frightened, Tyler shrank into the large frame of the doctor. The woman stopped at this sign of abuse, even in an amnesiac boy. Dr. Kinley glared at the woman once more, his arm wrapping around the small boy. Mrs. Walsh carefully folded her arms and relaxed the pinched look on her face.

"It's alright Tyler." Mrs. Walsh soothed, "I am a friend, or I would at least like to be your friend." a small, but natural smile lit her face and Tyler tentatively returned it. He remained in the protective arms of his doctor, however, clearly trusting the tall man to protect him from this unknown.

The three of them sat (or in Mrs. Walsh's case – stood) in silence for a few minutes, just wondering what to say. Surprisingly it was Tyler that broke the silence, "Are you here to take me away?" His big green eyes pierced his social worker's with an intensity that took her breath away. She nodded and those eyes looked away to gaze soulfully up at Dr. Kinley who had remained silent. Dr. Kinley shrugged at the boy, he really had no control over this situation as Tyler, other than having no memories, had made a full recovery.

Tyler sighed and looked down at his hands with a lost expression on his face. A frown then creased his forehead in thought. The two adults traded glances as they waited for this tiny teenager to come to some sort of conclusion. What that conclusion would be, neither adult knew.

With an abrupt straightening of his back (that startled both adults though neither would admit to it) and a tightening of his jaw, Tyler looked into the eyes of his social worker once more and nodded to her.

"I'm ready." His voice was firm and his movements sure as he folded back his blankets and swung his skinny legs around to dangle from the edge of the bed. Tyler shrugged Dr. Kinley's hands from his shoulders when the man tried to stop him. He could stand on his own, and he would prove it. He slid forward slowly and gently rested his feet on the cold tile floor. He shivered from the shock, but put his weight onto his feet and cautiously tested his balance.

He didn't fall and he quietly took the bag of clothing that Mrs. Walsh handed him. He walked slowly over to the small bathroom and pulled on the plain blue t-shirt and jeans. Digging into the bag just a bit deeper, Tyler found the plain white tube socks and pulled them on his feet as well. There were no shoes.

Then he looked into the mirror that hung over the sink and looked at himself for what felt like the first time ever. His eyes were green and sad behind the slightly broken glasses that Dr. Kinley said had come in with him and his hair was black, like tar, and stuck up in every which way. Tyler scowled and tried to flatten it with some water from the tap but was disappointed when it only sprung back up immediately. His face was heart shaped and pale with purple bags under his eyes. His lips were surprisingly full but chapped, probably from the dehydration Dr. Kinley had mentioned. The strangest thing about his appearance though, was the scar situated above his right brow in the shape of a lightning bolt. Tyler traced it with his finger and marveled at how fresh and sore it felt. Had it happened during the accident that he couldn't remember?

With a jerk, Tyler realized that he had probably been in the bathroom for a little longer than necessary and hurried out to see that his doctor and social worker had gone back to glaring at one another. The teenager tilted his head in confusion. Why didn't they like each other?

Tyler cleared his throat gently and smiled when the two adults jumped. Mrs. Walsh nodded at him and held out a pair of trainers. Tyler sat down on his hospital bed to put them on.

"Well Tyler, I wish you all the best. I hope I won't have to see you again under these circumstances." Dr. Kinley said with a smile and he held his hand out to the boy to shake. Tyler forwent the hand and wrapped his arms around the doctor in a warm hug.

"Thank you." he whispered into the white coated shoulder. The doctor was stunned by the spontaneous show of affection but didn't let it stop him from wrapping his arms around his patient and squeeze back.  
"You're welcome, Tyler. If you need anything at all, you can call me." Dr. Kinley slipped his business card into Tyler's pocket and pulled away to smile at him. Tyler smiled back and walked up to Mrs. Walsh.

"Bye Dr. Kinley." Tyler threw over his shoulder with another smile that lit up his eyes and seemed to make the world glow a bit brighter.

Now alone in the room, Doctor Alexander John Kinley sat heavily on the bed his most recent patient had occupied. He was amazed at how resilient Tyler seemed to be, he could only pray that the amnesiac teenager found a family to love him. And that he wouldn't end up in the hands of some of the monsters that resided in Detroit.

Tyler soon found out that Mrs. Walsh was not a very talkative person. Initially, Mrs. Walsh had told Tyler that he was going to a foster family called Rogers. It was a couple with their seventeen year old son and their nine year old daughter. It baffled Tyler as to why they would want to foster an orphan, but he guessed that these people just had big hearts. He hoped.

After being informed about his future family, Mrs. Walsh turned on the radio and concentrated on driving and ignored whatever attempts Tyler tried at conversation. Eventually, Tyler shrugged and looked out the window. The streets were foreign to him and not even the cars looked vaguely familiar. He wondered where he had lived before this if he could not remember even the look of the cars around him. A momentary panic took him, would he ever remember who he was before he was Tyler? Would he ever remember where he was from, who his parents were, if he had siblings?

A deep breath calmed his frayed nerves. He would remember, he thought determinedly. His life belonged to he alone and he would get it back.

Before too long Mrs. Walsh parked the car on the curb before a quaint two story house painted white with blue trim. The door and all the windows were open in an attempt at coaxing a breeze into the house. Now that he let himself think about it, Tyler noticed just how warm it was.

Tyler followed his social worker's lead and got out of the car and followed behind her meekly to the front door of his new home. A sharp rap on the metal grate acting as a screen door by Mrs. Walsh had a tiny blonde girl with big brown eyes rushing to open the door for her, screaming 'Mom they're here!' the entire way.

The girl threw open the door for them and grinned excitedly at Tyler, her youthful brown eyes scanning his thin frame eagerly. Tyler smiled back and the girl's smile nearly broke her face in half. It was amusing that she was filled with such enthusiasm for something such as this.

A woman who looked like an older version of the little girl but with bright blue eyes came to the door, and looked over Tyler and Mrs. Walsh with disinterest.

"So you're here then? Come in." she sighed, steering the bouncing child back into the house. Mrs. Walsh and Tyler followed them into a cluttered living room where the TV was on and playing a yellow sponge and a pink starfish talking with one another in front of a large pineapple that was being used as a house. Tyler was baffled once more, but trusted that the young girl would explain it to him after this meeting was done. The woman turned off the TV and turned to the girl. "Tina, clean up your mess and go get your father and brother. They should be in the garage."

Tina pouted but did as she was told and rushed off to grab the other two members of her family. The woman didn't smile, just looked tiredly after her before seating herself in an armchair. She waved a hand negligently at the sofa across from her in a bit for them to sit. They followed her silent order and continued to sit in said silence until the other three Rogers joined them.

The loud nine year old came barreling back into the living room and immediately took a seat next to Tyler, chattering at him about everything under the sun. Behind her came the two men of the household. Mr. Rogers was a tall broad man in his forties with dark hair threaded through with gray. His middle was round, but his shoulders were broad, giving him a weirdly balanced look. His dark eyes shown with merriment and there were deep lines on his face that indicated he was much quicker to smile than to frown.

The teenager was taller than his father with his mother's eyes and hair. He was thin as well, but corded with strong muscle. His expression was blank, but there was something strange about the way he looked at Tyler. His gaze burned and Tyler shifted uncomfortably, making the teen smirk at him. Tina scowled at her brother and burrowed herself into Tyler's side which had the amnesiac boy smiling once more.

Mrs. Walsh stood and shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, but when Tyler went to stand as well, Mr. Rogers laughed and said, "There's no use trying to dislodge her. It's nice to meet you Tyler, I'm David and this is my lovely wife Sandra and my son Kieran. You've met Tina. We hope you feel at home here."

And those words started his life at the Rogers'.

A two weeks had passed before the looks Kieran gave him escalated into something more than just uncomfortable staring. Tyler, thinking it was just part of Kieran's discomfort with a virtual stranger living in his home. But it turned out to be so much more than that.

The other three were amazing, though Sandra was a little melancholy. Tina quickly became his best friend and he enjoyed watching TV and participating in her little adventures that she had with her toys. It was amusing and new, for Tyler had the strangest feeling that he had never done this before. David taught him about cars whenever he could pull the clingy Tina from his arm. Sandra let him help her in the kitchen where she was more apt to open up as the kitchen was her domain.

Kieran was the only downside. He wouldn't talk to Tyler, only stare. He sat directly across from the him during mealtimes and whenever he had the opportunity to spend time with Tyler, all he did was stare. It was quite unnerving, but what could Tyler do? He'd only been in the house for a few weeks and Kieran had been there his entire life. Wouldn't Sandra and David take Kieran's word over Tyler's? So Tyler suffered in silence, and solved the dilemma as much as he could by spending as little time with Kieran as possible.

The only time Tyler couldn't escape Kieran was during the night for David and Sandra had bunked him with the other boy. Their beds sat across the room from each other and before Tyler could fall into his unsettling dreams of bright lights and people in robes, he could feel Kieran staring at him. It only added to the terror he felt in his dreams as the feeling of those eyes never left him.

But in the light of day, Tyler could ignore the stares and immerse himself in the family he was coming to love.

Then one night it escalated into something Tyler couldn't ignore.

He woke to hands caressing his skin. Kieran loomed above him, pinning the smaller boy to the bed with his hips. The older boy had stripped Tyler of his nightshirt and pants. Tyler tried to scream but a sweaty palm pressed against his mouth. Kieran smirked, "Make a sound Tyler, and I'll make this much more unpleasant than it has to be."

Tyler squeezed his eyes shut in response, tears spilling down his face. His sob was muffled by Kieran's hand and the older boy's smirk grew. Then Kieran began his torture.

Tyler didn't sleep that night, or the nights that followed. He became haggard and scared of his own shadow and all the while, Kieran's lustful smirk followed him. Before he knew it, two weeks of this torture had passed and the rest of the family was beginning to notice. Mister and Missus Rogers would throw puzzled and worried looks his way, but never confronted him about it. Tina would cuddle him, somehow knowing that Tyler didn't want to talk and Kieran would continue to smirk and do terrible things to him in the privacy of his room.

After a particularly violent night at the hands of Kieran, Tyler lay alone in his bed listening to the even breathing of Kieran when he remembered the card Dr. Kinley had given him. Quietly, he rummaged in his bag for the tiny rectangular card. With it in hand, he crept silently downstairs and towards the phone. Tyler dialed the number with shaky hands in the dim light of the kitchen nightlight and waited breathlessly for the kind doctor to answer.

"Hello?" Tyler sobbed at the sleepy greeting, immediately bringing the doctor completely awake. "Hello? Who is this? What's wrong?"

"Dr. Kinley, it's Tyler. I-I need your help." Tyler whispered into the phone mouthpiece. His wide green eyes stared at the base of the stairs where any one of the family could come down at any moment. If Tyler was to escape, he needed to leave before any of them realized he was gone.

"Tyler? What happened?" Dr. Kinley asked, his voice worried.

"The other boy, Kieran... he's been... doing things to me. I think they're very bad things because it doesn't feel good, even when he says it should. Please, Dr. Kinley, I need to get out of here." Tyler pleaded quietly.

"Alright, get your things and go to the park three blocks away from the house. I'll pick you up there and take you to the hospital, okay?"

"But-"

"Tyler, you need to trust me, okay? Don't you trust me"

"... Yes, I do. I... I'll be there."

"Good. Be quiet and I'll meet you there in twenty minutes, alright?"

"Alright. Bye." Tyler hung up before he could hear Dr. Kinley return the farewell. He stood in the darkness of the kitchen and stared at the stairs. He was really getting away from Kieran and his torture. He would miss the rest of the family, but he knew he would not survive here if he stayed.

The teen mustered whatever courage he had stored away and crept back up the stairs. Kieran was still fast asleep when Tyler returned to the room and stayed asleep as the runaway gathered his things into his backpack. When all of his clothes were stored safely away, Tyler slid open the drawer of his bedside table. Within it lay the strange stick he was found with and the strange leather device it had been secured to. They were his only true links to his forgotten past and he would never forgive himself if he lost them. The strange objects were the key to his memories, he knew, but he had yet to recognize them.

Tyler carefully stashed them away in his bag and left the room, leaving the torment he had suffered behind.

Outside was warm, as it was only mid-July and the street lamps lit his way to the park. Tyler encountered nobody else in his little trek to the park and he was grateful. He was limping slightly and had no desire to explain his ailment to anybody but Dr. Kinley.

The park was small, merely a play-set and hundred yards worth of grass. The edges glowed softly with the light of the street lamps and there was enough shadow in the center that the tiny teen could hide with little problem if Kieran woke up and somehow followed him. There was only one car parked along the curb and the tall, familiar form of Dr. Kinley leaned against it. Tyler let out a sigh of relief. He was safe.

"Tyler!" Dr. Kinley had obviously spotted him and was quickly making his way toward the limping teen. Tyler stopped walking and let the doctor come to him.

"What's wrong?" the doctor asked when he was standing with the teen, his large hands already exploring the bruises Tyler had made no effort to disguise.

"The other boy did things to me. I'm not entirely sure what it all meant, I can't remember if it is normal or not, but it hurt so I figured it was bad."

"What did he do to you?"

"I'm not really sure what it's supposed to be called, but he put his... privates... in my butt and put his lips and hands on places that I didn't want them. That's bad, right?" Tyler felt distinctly odd for his question and his explanation, but the doctor had asked so he answered. By the sudden paling of the doctor's face, Tyler figured it really was bad. What exactly had Kieran done to him?

"Kieran... he raped you?"

Tyler's stomach dropped, he knew that word. He couldn't remember where or when he had learned it, but he knew it was a terrible word, an unforgivable word.

"Yeah... yeah he did. I-I didn't remember until know that that was the word, but yeah. That's what Kieran did. Why did he do that to me? I never did anything bad to him, why would he do that?" Tyler was quickly becoming hysterical. Dr. Kinley gently gripped Tyler's arms and shook him softly. Terrified green eyes gazed into kind blue.

"Calm down Tyler. I'm going to take you to the hospital and we're going to fix you up, okay? Come on, let's go." The doctor herded the distressed teen toward his SUV, taking the liberty of strapping the boy in when he seemed too out of it to do it himself.

The drive to the hospital was swift and silent. Tyler had dozed the entire way there, exhausted by the events of the last few weeks and finally feeling safe enough to sleep.

He felt detached and held onto that feeling as he was examined by his doctor. He barely heard as it was confirmed that he had been indeed raped. He complied easily when Dr. Kinley gently prodded him into a hospital bed and nodded listlessly when he was asked if he wanted to talk to the police tomorrow. It would be hard, he knew, to talk about what he had gone through at the hands of that boy, but he knew Kieran needed to be stopped, especially when he could go after Tina in retaliation of losing Tyler. He closed his eyes and surrendered to dreamless sleep.

He awoke to a loud argument happening outside of his room. He slid out of bed to peer curiously out the rectangular window set inside the door. It was Dr. Kinley and Mrs. Walsh. The two were arguing heatedly about him. Apparently Mrs. Walsh wasn't taking his flight from the Rogers' too well.

Tyler opened the door and looked at his social worker.

"Do you know what happened to me there?"

His question stopped the argument and made two pairs of eyes swing toward him. Mrs. Walsh drew herself up in an indignant manner, "Of course I do, I had this quack update me as soon as I was told there were policemen coming to the hospital to ask you questions."

"Then why do you want me to go back?"

"Because it was only the boy who harmed you, there is no-"

"I was attacked in that house. I never want to go there again. I love the rest of the family, yes, but I will never get a decent night's sleep in that house again. So don't tell me there is no good reason. If you cannot respect my wishes on this, I will request a new social worker. Do you have to be present for my discussion with the police or can Dr. Kinley stay with me?"

The woman sputtered at his words, but Tyler was not going to back down. He had no idea if a ward of the state could request a new social worker or not, but Mrs. Walsh didn't need to know that. Dr. Kinley stepped forward with a smile. "I can stay with you Tyler, if that is what you want. Lt. Green and Detective Fowler will be here soon, so why don't you go get cleaned up?"

Tyler nodded and retreated back into his room. He found his bag sitting at the foot of the bed, he gathered it up and headed into the connected bathroom to dress into some clean clothes. He felt much better after redressing. When he exited the tiny bathroom, he came face to face with Lt. Green and Detective Fowler from before. They stood quietly next to Dr. Kinley. Mrs. Walsh wasn't with them. He briefly wondered where she was before shrugging it off. It wasn't important at this moment.

Lt. Green and Detective Fowler came forward and greeted him pleasantly. Tyler smiled faintly, still clinging tightly to his feeling of detachment as he immediately launched into a telling of what happened to him. The two policemen stayed silent the entire time, their faces growing more and more stony the more things were explained.

After Tyler finished his account, the policemen shared a look. Lt. Green came forward and placed a hand on Tyler's shoulder. "We'll make sure this boy doesn't get the chance to harm anybody else. You will be asked to testify in court over what happened, are you okay with that?"

Tyler glanced over at Dr. Kinley and received an encouraging nod and smile.

"Yeah, I am."

Lt. Green smiled at the shaky teen and nodded at his partner. The two left the room, leaving Tyler and Dr. Kinley alone. Dr. Kinley smiled at Tyler.

"You're doing the right thing. Those two will make sure that Kieran will never hurt you again. Don't worry. Come sit on the bed so I can check on your injuries."

As the doctor's skilled hands checked his wounds, Tyler watched the door as a man peered inside. He was clean shaven with aristocratic features and bright blue eyes. He caught Tyler's eye and smiled before ducking away. He didn't come in, so Tyler figured he was waiting for Dr. Kinley to finish his examination.

"There is somebody waiting outside, Dr. Kinley. I don't know who it is though." Tyler told his doctor, nodding toward the door.

The redhead poked his head out and spoke quietly with whoever it was. Then the man came in.

"Tyler this is your new social worker. Mrs. Walsh took your threat to heart it looks like. Meet Mr. Smith." The man approached slowly, keeping his hands to his side. He was dressed in a smart but conservative suit and held a file folder in his left hand.

"Hello Tyler. It's a pleasure to meet you. Mrs. Walsh updated me on your case while I was waiting for your conversation with Lt. Green to end. I was here to check on an adoption case so that's why it didn't take so long for Mrs. Walsh to find a replacement." He didn't offer to shake hands, and Tyler appreciated it. He didn't want to be touched anymore.

"Okay. Am I leaving now?"

"If your doctor here gives the all clear, yes. I was able to contact a friend of mine about your situation. Mrs. Mercer is a wonderful lady and is willing to take you in. She has four other boys, her youngest is your age and recently went through something similar so I am confident that this won't happen to you again. Would you like to speak with her before you go?"

Tyler looked over at Dr. Kinley. "The only wound I wanted to watch has begun to heal nicely. You may go with Mr. Smith Tyler."

The boy sighed. "I can talk with her before I go to her house?"

"Of course Tyler. I can call her right now, if you'd like."

Tyler nodded and made himself comfortable on his bed. He wasn't leaving until he got a chance to talk with this lady.

Mr. Smith pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number, putting it to his ear as it connected. He spoke a few words with somebody who probably wasn't Mrs. Mercer as he didn't hand the phone over to Tyler. A minute later and Tyler held the phone in one hand.

"Hello?" he said quietly.

"Hi, Tyler? This is Evelyn Mercer, how are you doing?"

"I'm okay, I guess. I'm a little sore."

"That's very understandable dear, I heard from Mr. Smith that you have some reservations about coming to live with me, and I understand that too. My Jackie, the newest to my batch of boys, went through something similar. I will take no bullshit from anyone about you and I will do my damnedest to make sure you will be safe with me. It's the same for all of my boys. Bobby is my eldest. He doesn't live with me anymore, and he plays hockey professionally. You'll meet him whenever he decides to come visit. My second eldest is Jeremiah, he doesn't live with me anymore either. He's works at a construction company and is married and already has one child. Then there's Angel. He still lives with me and you already know of Jack. Do you have any questions?"

Tyler liked this woman's voice and had been content to let her just speak to him. She sounded so nice, and he found himself wanting to live with her. He jerked to himself when she asked him a question.

"Will I have to share a room?" Evelyn laughed and Tyler smiled in response. He really hoped this would work out.

Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I have been really busy with school. Thank my fragile immune system for this chapter as it's pretty much all I've done for the past two days. I want to thank you all for your favorites and reviews, they were really nice. I'll be working on Through the Door this week and might have the next chapter out by next weekend. Hopefully. Bruised But Not Broken is still on hiatus. Sorry. If there are any mistakes that I missed, let me know, okay?

~Riddle


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